JAKE DE PAUL: WEDNESDAY FOOD LINKS >>>

More Beer For Bonney Lake: Mark Eggen, owns The Rock pizza franchises in South Hill and Lacey, opened Hop Jack’s.

Stupid Economy: The trouble with Bon Appetit.

Seventh Season Premiere: Dinner: Impossible on the Food Network. See Chef Robert Irvine whip up creative dinners for the Philadelphia’s PennJersey She Devils â€" 250 roller derby chicks! My guess is whatever Irvine makes will have to pair well with Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Today’s South Sound Specials

Wino Wednesday $3 pours and $5 Rainier Pitchers Night, The Red Hot, 2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.779.0229.

Terra Blanca winery tasting, 5:30-8 p.m., complimentary, Pour At Four, 3814 N. 26th St., Tacoma, 253.761.8015.

Eight dollar wine day, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., The Seven-oh-One, 701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.2240.

Half-price Wine Night, Merende Restaurant, 813 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.722.1993.

Half-price Wine Night, 4 p.m. to close, Brix 25, 7707 Pioneer Way, Gig Harbor, 253.858.6626.

Sample two beers for $1, 4-9 p.m., 99 Bottles, 35002 Pacific Hwy. S., Federal Way, 253.838.2558.

Half-price Wine Night, 4-9:30 p.m., Primo Grill, 601 S. Pine, Tacoma, 253.383.7000.

Half-price Wine Night with every bottle on regular wine list is half price, 5-9 p.m., Il Fiasco, 2717 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.6688.

Half-price Wine Night, 5-10 p.m., Woody’s On The Water, 1715 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.272.1433.

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Death Building: City of Tacoma closes streets next to Luzon Building. Kunista, you're our only hope.

Fort Lewis In Afghanistan: Checking in with the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

It's Personal: Obama invokes mother's battles against cancer, insurers.

Seriously? Sweden?: Piracy fears as cargo ship vanishes.

Snug: Obama welcomes Sotomayor as first Hispanic justice.

Word: Microsoft ordered to pay over $290 million in patent case.

Can't Image: Taiwan rescuers find some 1,000 alive after mudslides.

Newt And The Truth: Bullshit artist writes op-ed about importance of truth.

Inside information: Cucumber thefts baffle police.

Austrian In Wisconsin: Woman says she was repeatedly bitten by otters.

What Are You Doing This Summer?

WEEKLY VOLCANO: WEDNESDAY MUSIC LINKS DUMP >>>

Reviving Brit-pop: Esser rises above his humble, post-punk drummer roots with his debut offering.

Word: Maybe it’s more fun to idolize or demonize public figures than to have more complex, mixed feelings about them.

NPR Song Of The Day: Camera Obscura’s “Cynical But Sweet”

The Verve Break Up Once Again: Their hate runs deep.

Beck Interviews Will Ferrell: The two old pals talk about Ferrell's audition for Cirque du Solei!

Grohl, Homme, Jones Supergroup Them Crooked Vultures: Trio don masks and play clip of "Nobody Loves Me And Neither Do I":

RON SWARNER: THE RED HOT CELEBRATES TWO YEARS THIS WEEKEND >>>

I admit we talk about The Red Hot on Spew more than any South Sound business. Maybe too much. The reason is two-fold. One, owner Chris "Trashcan" Miller promotes the hell out of it. He's a smart business owner. And two, well, Weekly Volcano restaurant critic Jake de Paul said it best in our Best of Tacoma 2009 issue:

The Red Hot marketing machine hit us again recently with news of its second anniversary party Sunday, Aug. 16 from 1-10 p.m. Their backyard beer garden will be hopping with a pub-only keg from Elysian called Elysian Koolsch; a cask of Big Al's Hop Soup will pump through their new beer engine; a firkin cask of Schooner Exact 3-Grid IPA will flow at 5 p.m. after someone hammers the tap in (old school!); the Randall will be in operation; the beer floats will be lined up; and The Red Hot will also tip local Pont 21 wine.

Also returning from their first year anniversary will be the hot dog eating contest. Instead of stuffing 50 or so â€" or whatever ungodly amount it was â€" hot dogs down, this year's contest winner will be the fastest to pound three hot dogs including the buns. The contest begins at 6 p.m.

I fired up a Q&A with Mr. Trashcan for his thoughts on the business after two years.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: First of all, what the hell is a Randall?

CHRIS TRASHCAN: To get down to brass tacks, a Randall is a filter device filled with whole leaf hops that instantly dry-hops beer at the serving point. DogFish Head Brewing out east came up with it years ago.        

VOLCANO: What was your favorite Red Hot moment from the past two years?

TRASHCAN: Every time I could bring a new beer to the area, or turned someone on to a new beer â€" especially someone who "doesn't like that kind of beer" when they come in, and leaves loving at least two craft beers.

VOLCANO: What was your least favorite Red Hot moment from the past two years?

TRASHCAN: Sorry to be vague again, but it's every time a jerk who did not see the "No Jerks" on the sign on their way in, comes in.  We are a tavern/taphouse/beer parlor/what have you.  Happy people belong here.  Jerks do not.

VOLCANO:  What would be your desert island tap lineup if you could only have 10?

TRASHCAN: It changes daily, but tap lineup, not including bottles, as I write this, assuming proper refrigeration is there, in no order, and to keep a good selection:

1. a dry-hopped cask of Schooner Exact 3 Grid IPA
2. Hales American Pale Ale
3. Victory Prima Pilsner
4. Thomas Kemper Helles Lager from the mid-90s when it was in Poulsbo, Wash.
5. Pike XXXXX Stout
6. Baron Hefe-Weisse
7. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
8. Port Townsend Hop Diggidy IPA
9. Anchor Steam
10. Rainier

That gives me two kinds of IPA to choose from, some easier drinking stuff, some lighter stuff for the desert island sun, a dark one for cold nights, and good ol' Rainier to keep me humble. I would, however, want to rotate handles again in a few days, so. …

VOLCANO: What's the top selling hot dog at The Red Hot?

TRASHCAN: Switches between The Chicago, The 6th Ave Strut, and The Hilltop Strangler

VOLCANO: What will year three hold for The Red Hot?

TRASHCAN: Since our party is day one of our third year, our new cask beer engine will have its debut outside pouring (Big Al's Hop Soup). We got the beer engine from Jack at The Swiss, so I am honored to have a little piece of Tacoma pub history now being used in my place. It was totally rebuilt by Shane at Good Turns Draft Service, and I've been holding off on unleashing it for some time now.  

Other goals are to reduce waste. We currently recycle 60 percent of our total waste we generate (glass, paper, metals).  We're trying to get that figure up to 75 percent, and find some other options for stuff we have to dump in the trash. 

We'll also have the first New Belgium Brewing Bike-In Movie in Washington State on Saturday Sept. 12. 

We've been trying to get the Man Vs. Food guy in here to do the Gauntlet Challenge, but still no luck. 

So, to tie it up: more cask stuff, a larger bottle selection with more bottle conditioned stuff, more cellared kegs showing up, more beer-centered events, trying to buck the trend and operate "greener" I suppose, and keep on working to bring in more unique craft beers to Tacoma. And, of course, other cool surprises.

VOLCANO: Thanks Chris.

The Red Hot second anniversary party is this Sunday afternoon. The party actually begins Saturday at 7 p.m. with a Randall Battle with Schooner Exact Brewing. They're using two Randalls on the same beer, but using a different hop variety in each Randall.  That's so Red Hot.

[The Red Hot, Sunday, Aug. 16, 1-10 p.m., no cover, 2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.779.0229]

JENNIFER JOHNSON: TASTE THE FUTURE >>>

In June Bates Technical College added a priceless component to the Culinary Arts Program. A first for the school, second-year students have the unique opportunity to serve dining clientele in this live practice restaurant environment and create recipes, menus and gourmet dishes in the school’s kitchen classroom.

A recent lunch visit yielded a mixed bag of dishes: excellent lamb chops, artful yet undercooked potato balls, tender, seasoned seared scallops, tasty tortilla soup, salty prawns, delicious chocolate cake with cherries, and mediocre cheesecake.

As long as it is understood that student chefs are preparing lunch and things may not be just right, this is a fun foodie adventure at low prices (average $3-$9).

The makeshift restaurant is set-up in the Cascade Room complete with printed menus, white table linen and flowers.

Given the limited seating and experience of the student staff, reservations are required to allow for proper preparation.

[Bates Technical College, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, Cascade Room, 1101 S. Yakima, Tacoma, 253.680-7247]

RON SWARNER: MUSIC & ART IN WRIGHT PARK PRIMER >>>

This Aug. 15, Music & Art in Wright Park 2009, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returns to Tacoma â€" showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Guns & Rossetti, Girl Trouble, Post Stardom Depression, Broken Oars, The Plastards, James Hilborne and the Painkillers, Zeke, C.F.A., Zook, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Tarek Wegner, Tallest Tree, The Coloffs, NeutralBoy, and Mico De Noche. The Saturday outdoor concert at Wright Park will be free.

As a sponsor of Music & Art in Wright Park, the Weekly Volcano will highlight a band or two every day until the Aug. 15 show, which runs noon to 8 p.m.

Today’s Music & Art in Wright Park band I'm pushing on you is James Hilborne and the Painkillers.

Back in June Weekly Volcano scribe Mark Thomas Deming sat down with the Painkillers. After spinning their new CD, Ghost Country, and chatting with Drew Schot, Billy Stambaugh, James Hilborne and Rick King, Deming tagged their music as old, weird America folk. Read the full story here.

Here’s a taste of the musical stylings of James Hilborne and the Painkillers:

LINK: To read a little history on Music in the Park, jump to here.

RON SWARNER: MUST SEE FILM OPENS FRIDAY AT THE GRAND >>>

“Has he posted it yet?” I asked my film editor Bill White.

“Nope,” he quipped. “In fact, he’s not reviewing it this week.”

“What the hell?” I replied.

For whatever reason Roger Ebert is not reviewing Scottish writer-director Armando Iannucci’s big-screen debut, In The Loop, which opens at The Grand Cinema Friday. That’s a shame. I caught this wickedly hilarious parody last week and highly recommend it.

The film clearly draws inspiration from the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States and the Coalition of the Willing. Instead of Bush bashing, In the Loop’s satire takes a smarter, indirect path. The movie reserves its big comedic guns for the favor-currying, ass-covering bureaucrats on either side of the Atlantic.

I laughed by ass off for an hour then fell asleep. Washington City Paper’s review of the flick explains why â€" skipping the explanation of why I tried to watch it at 3 a.m. Their review is dead on.

LINK: The Grand Cinema

MICHAEL SWAN: THURSDAY, AUG. 13, 2009 >>>

1. Vicci Martinez performs a free solo acoustic show at Doyle’s Public House from 8-10 p.m. 7 pm. 

2. A Room Called Remember plays the Weekly Volcano Music Stage at the Tacoma Farmers Market on Broadway at 11 a.m.

3. The opening reception for Under Construction, works in progress by local artists, runs from 6-10 p.m. at Fulcrum Gallery.

4. The year is 2045 and a warrior battles to save America from an Islamic mastermind in this smart and violent futuristic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Robert Ferrigno who will chat up his book Heart of the Assassin at 7 p.m. inside the Garfield Book Company.

5. The Northwest Playwrights Alliance’s Festival Northwest continues at Tacoma Little Theatre at 7:30 p.m. featuring Short Works: Santa Fe by Robert Caisley; Exit, Chased By A Bear by Sean Walbeck; Last Call by Lia Romero; Off Book by LaChris Jordan; The Chore by Nick Stokes; and Projectiles by The 253 Collaborative.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

RON SWARNER: MUSIC AND ART IN WRIGHT PARK PRIMER >>>

This Aug. 15, Music and Art in Wright Park 2009, which began in 1993 as Music in the Park, returns to Tacoma â€" showcasing some of the best bands in the area, including Guns & Rossetti, Girl Trouble, Post Stardom Depression, Broken Oars, The Plastards, James Hilborne and the Painkillers, Zeke, C.F.A., Zook, Stone Axe, Starstruck, Tarek Wegner, Tallest Tree, The Coloffs, NeutralBoy, and Mico De Noche. The Saturday outdoor concert at Wright Park will be free.

Since Matt Driscoll’s preview of Music and Art in Wright Park graces today's Weekly Volcano cover, I’ll take a break from the daily band highlights to let you read his story here.

JAKE DE PAUL: THURSDAY FOOD LINKS >>>

Two Parties In One: Pacific Grill's four-year anniversary and Julia Child's birthday.

Miracle Treat Day: Dairy Queen chills for the kids today.

Suk Suk Dip Dip Move Move: Indochine move explained.

Today’s South Sound Specials

The Tacoma waterfront restaurant Harbor Lights celebrates its 50th anniversary tonight. It's completely booked. Nothing to see here. Move along.

It’s Half-price wine night at Maxwell’s Speakeasy, 454 St. Helens, Tacoma, 253.683.4115.

Vinum Coffee and Wine Lounge hosts a wine tasting tonight at 7 p.m. featuring five pours for $5, 1001 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.8215.

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide